


Fate Unsealed: A Better End

by guava



Series: Finally, After 1000 Years [7]
Category: Mirai Sentai Timeranger
Genre: Anal Sex, Angst with a Happy Ending, Blow Jobs, Fix-It, M/M, Masturbation, Mutual Masturbation, Post-Canon, Riding, Sex Toys, Time Travel, Topping from the Bottom, Watching Porn Together, past Tatsuya/Ayase
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-16
Updated: 2019-02-17
Packaged: 2019-10-29 13:10:23
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 10,562
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17808572
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/guava/pseuds/guava
Summary: Post-Canon, Fix-It AU. A timely intervention stops Ryuuya from having Naoto die in his place. After learning about Ryuuya's scheme from the Time Defense Bureau's new captain, Naoto and Tatsuya each has to choose how to live the rest of their lives in the twenty-first century.





	1. Prologue

**Case File 48.**

**February 3, 2001,**

**4 Time Rangers - Yuri, Ayase, Domon, and Sion return to the 31st Century.**

**On the same day, V-REX pilot Naoto Takizawa dies—**

* * *

 

_A problem has been detected and στανξβψ has been shut down to prevent damage to your computer._

_The problem seems to be caused by the following file: 30010203.ra_

_MANUALLY_INITIATED_CRASH_

_If this is the first time you've seen this stop error screen, restart your computer. If this screen appears again, follow these steps..._

* * *

 

 

_**Present Day** _

 

The little parakeet froze; it's beak remaining half-open. Naoto frowned, wondering what could have happened to scare the bird into such a state. Or perhaps birds too could experience cardiac arrest.

First, he'd bring the bird and its cage back to the girl. As he tried to move a step, an invisible force pulled him back. He was hit with a heavy, rushing wave; like gravity coming from the wrong direction. The invisible barrier pushed at him and he used body to shield the innocent bird. To protect it and its innocent owner who'd cry if it was crushed.

Naoto shut his eyes tight and held the birdcage close to his chest while the wave tore through him, its impact beating his already ragged body.

'You won't take me yet,' he swore, addressing the fate that had threatened all his life to snuff him out.

But fate didn't come for him. Instead, it pried the birdcage out of Naoto's arms just as Naoto tried to put his foot down and wiggle out of the force's hold. It released him then, causing him to stumble and lose his balance.

Naoto reached out to grab what's in front of him -- the grills of the railings that the bird had perched on a moment ago. He pulled himself up to stand again, turning to see what had become of it.

What he saw bordered on unreality - he saw _him_ , his very self, holding the bird and the birdcage as he had done before being nearly swept away. In fighting back, he had separated himself from this other him--a copy, perhaps?

And why was the bird put back to where it was just seconds ago?

A movement in the corner of his eye caught his attention. It wasn't someone coming forward with an answer, but a Zenitt rounding a corner towards the civillians' shelter. Though Naoto had shot down countless of those Londars' mook soldiers, this was the first time that he had seen one moving around solo.

It must have been sent on a mission. It raised its arm and fired; it's bullet zooming straight for the other Naoto.

"MOVE!"

Naoto's warning was useless. Shot in the back, the other him fell towards the hard ground. Gravity was back at work, pulling the bird and its cage along. Naoto caught the birdcage just in time, grabbing it by its handle.

He convulsed; his internal organs screaming. After setting the cage down, he let the spreading pain overtake his senses. His body expelled blood in fits and starts, splattering red everywhere.

Still, the bird did not chirp again.

When Naoto could breathe again, he wiped away the tears that were wrenched from the corner of his eyes and pulled himself up. Someone was calling his name -- there he was down below, Asami Tatsuya cradling the other Naoto in his arms.

Naoto may be losing a lot of blood, but that amount was nothing compared to what leaked out of the other him. Red stained the white bandages on his chest and smeared the lower half of his face, making it obvious to anyone that he was beyond saving.

"Naoto! Hang on!" Tatsuya cried.

'Asami, I'm here!'

Naoto spoke the words, but no sound came from his throat. He had become as voiceless as the little girl's bird.

The other him said in his voice, "Asami, try changing it."

He detached the V-Commander from his wrist and held it out for Tatsuya. Naoto glanced at the V-Commander on his own wrist, the device seemingly intact. He watched the other him breathe his last, leaving Tatsuya to mourn him.

"Why?" Tatsuya screamed. "Why do you have to die? Naoto!"

'I'm not dead! I'm right here!'

Bringing his V-Commander close to his mouth, Naoto mouthed his transformation call. The more he tried to release his voice, the more he choked on air. Something he couldn't see was closing around his throat. The invisible force was back for him, keeping him from transforming and speaking and doing anything to alert Tatsuya to his presence.

He continued resisting all the same, not knowing what else to do with Tatsuya's sobs ringing in his ears.

'You don't have to cry over me,' he wanted to say.

He wanted to talk to Tatsuya again, even if he had to trade places with the other him. That was his last thought as he went under, feeling as if he was being dragged somewhere, perhaps to hell or—

"Naoto! Hang on!"

Was this another time loop that kept repeating endlessly?

_No_. Naoto was back on his bed in the shelter. Tatsuya and the little girl stood by his side; the girl clutching at the birdcage with her pet perched inside.

So he had at least succeeded in rescuing a little life. The safe and sound return of the bird meant that what Naoto had experienced was not a dream; that he had went out with the cage to bring the bird back and prevented it from being killed like the other him.

"Oniichan, are you going to be okay?" The little girl asked.

"Don't worry," Tatsuya reassured her. "This oniichan is a super strong guy."

Naoto would scoff at Tatsuya's description of him if the little girl wasn't watching him so intently. Somewhere in the shelter, a woman shouted, "Miki!" That must be the little girl's name, for she immediately excused herself and went off with her bird to where her mother was.

"How do you feel?" Tatsuya asked, pulling up a stool to sit on. "Do you need a doctor?"

He dared to press the back of his hand against Naoto's forehead to check for a fever. Naoto seized Tatsuya's wrist, noting the V-commander still attached to him and not on Tatsuya.

"What do you think you're doing?" Naoto demanded to know.

"You were out there, in the cold, with barely anything on," Tatsuya pointed out, withdrawing his hand, "And then you came back in and fainted. I can't help but worry about you."

"Save it. Are the Londars still out there?"

"They've retreated for the moment. They may come back," Tatsuya mused. "I should go check..."

He got up to leave. At the sight of his back, Naoto's recent memory of Tatsuya flashed across his mind. His eternal rival holding him, weeping and howling at the sky. Naoto needed to convince himself that what he saw wasn't real, and that this—both him and Tatsuya being alive and well, was.

"Asami!"

The moment Tatsuya turned towards Naoto, Naoto tossed the V-Commander over to him. A sharp pain shot through Naoto's ribs. Naoto gritted his teeth and pressed his back against the bed, hugging himself out of instinct.

"Naoto!" In a flash, Tatsuya was by Naoto's side again.

"Take that. Use it," Naoto rasped. "Find your dad."

Tatsuya gave him a firm nod, and added, "I can't make a promise for that last bit. Don't move, I'll get someone to look at you."

He rushed to find a nurse. It wasn't necessary to make such a fuss; Naoto was fine enough to continue breathing and living. Perhaps what had set Tatsuya off was Naoto being nice, which Naoto had to admit, was damn uncharacteristic for him.

Naoto wasn't thinking when he said the last part. Certainly, the V-Commander, a nifty piece of 30th century technology, would make a fine offering from son to father. Their touching reunion, which Naoto wouldn't be present for, would ensue.

No matter what, Tatsuya would go on to live a beautiful life. With or without Naoto.

Naoto sighed, thinking that he should go to sleep. There was nothing else for him to do. Something revolutionary might come out of digging deeper into why and how he saw the other him, but maybe not. He might as well accept that he'd never get the answers to his questions.

And then the man with the giraffe's head came for him.

 

_**All The Connected Yesterdays** _

 

For once, a fact about the distant future that didn't rock Naoto's world: there were no giraffes in any nook or cranny of outer space. Mr. Not-A-Giraffe had a name, and it was Saburo, and if Naoto wanted to know the reason behind the role in The Great Disappearance, Naoto should join him on a trip to the future.

Naoto went. Strapped to his seat in Saburo's two-seater rocket, he experienced firsthand that whatever he knew about time travel from popular science fiction was wrong. Crossing large swathes of time and space didn't feel like a rush, but rather like being thrown in slow motion against multiple layers of dense air. It was a sensation similar to the invisible force that seemed bent on tearing him apart.

His first impression of the future was white - white floors, white walls, a white ceiling ; white everywhere. And Asami Tatsuya, just as Naoto had seen him in the past (the present?).

"Naoto!"

Naoto advanced towards him, pausing to hack up another spatter of blood. Staining the white with red.

* * *

So, all this was because of Asami. Not Tatsuya or his father, but their distant descendant who was many ranks and titles above the other Timerangers.

Asami Ryuuya, formerly Captain Ryuuya, had been given clearance to correct history to the way he liked it to go. Sacrificing millions of people from 2001--people long dead to him--to save the inhabitants of 3001. Perhaps by accomplishing this feat, others would be willing to turn a blind eye towards him having a non-player in history die in his place, said nobody being none other than Naoto. Just as Ryuuya was about to execute the commands that would seal Naoto's and the twenty-first century's fate, the other Timerangers got to him, shooting him in self-defense.

Naoto replayed all that Saburo had told him and Tatsuya as he lay in a special pod for his second round of healing. Ironically, this machine that was shaped like a coffin was meant to concentrate a mixture of energy and chemicals for the rapid regeneration of damaged cells. Naoto's cuts, wounds and fractured bones would be treated just like that -- Saburo emphasized his point with a snap of his fingers that would be less disconcerting if they were hooves.

Even after Naoto had put his clothes back on and walked around, he had the sensation of walking on another planet. On another dimension, maybe. That he had yet to get back down to Earth, though this was Earth, one where everyone he knew in his time were long forgotten.

Well, almost everyone. He passed a room and caught sight of Tatsuya and his blue friend all by themselves. Naoto backtracked his steps, not wanting to walk past the open door in case they saw him too and called out to him. He didn't mean to pry, so it wasn't his fault that he became a witness to Tatsuya giving TimeBlue a kiss.

The way their heads were tilted and the way Ayase craned his neck towards Tatsuya made it obvious that they were doing that. Naoto peered in again, just to confirm what he was seeing, and noticed Tatsuya's hand on Ayase's hip.

Naoto ought to tear his eyes away from their sweet goodbye. Any moment now, things could escalate between them, and Naoto would just be a pervert looking on. He imagined Tatsuya pressing his lips and body harder against Ayase's, drawing out desperate cries from the smaller man. He had to resist the temptation to be a dick and interrupt them just to see how Tatsuya would react.

As they pulled apart, Tatsuya said, "Is this okay? Here, where you work--"

"We do this all the time where we work," Ayase replied.

With a chuckle, Tatsuya went in for another kiss.

They like doing it at work, which Naoto took to mean fooling around at the offices of Tomorrow Research. Their relationship sure was kinkier than what Naoto assumed either of them was capable of. As for how kinky they actually were; Naoto wasn't going to stick around and find out.

'Good for you, Asami,' Naoto thought.

He walked away from the two of them, going back the way he came from.

 

_**Blast to the Past** _

 

"Tatsuya!" TimePink cried, launching herself at Tatsuya to give him a full body hug.

Those who were not being hugged all traded looks of disbelief. Naoto couldn't tell what the big deal was, as if a woman hugging a man was the millenium like the one which had taken place earlier that day.

"Y-Yuuri!" Tatsuya quickly got over his shock and awkwardness to put his arms around her. "This reminds me of the first time we met. Except this time, you're not choking me in a life-threatening way..."

She drew back from his chest and replied, "Yeah. You won't be able to tease me for this, so I don't have to choke you now."

Her eyes were watery and when she tried to smile, the corner of her lips trembled. While the others continued watching, Naoto turned to face the wall. He had a hunch that if he continued to look, he'd have to witness Tatsuya make out with another Timeranger.

After a round of telling his friends to take care, Tatsuya was ready to leave. His smallest friend had bounced up to Naoto to say thanks and give Naoto a farewell present -- the pen/flashlight that he had used to nearly blind Naoto with back at the research lab. Naoto accepted the present and disregarding that Tatsuya could tease him for it, he gave Sion a pat on the head in return.

To return to the twenty-first century, Naoto and Tatsuya had to take the same two-seater rocket that Naoto had time-traveled in. As they both strapped themselves in, Saburo flipped a few switches and pressed some buttons on the rocket's panel so it would return on its own after dropping them off.

"You can trust us with what we've seen and heard here," Tatsuya said. "We won't...accidentally change history. Or deliberately do that."

"Don't worry about any of that," Saburo said. "I'll let you in on one more thing: history hasn't been changed. The two of you having the chance to travel through time is part of the protected timeline."

Naoto saw Tatsuya flinching at Saburo mention's of a 'protected timeline'; yet another reminder of the idea of a predetermined fate that Tatsuya would never stop resisting. An argument that could take another thousand years may erupt then and there if Naoto didn't cut in to defuse the personal landmine that Saburo had unknowingly stepped on.

"Okay," Naoto said, "let us know when you're in town for some fresh greens."

"How many times do I have to tell you, I am not descended from giraffes!" Saburo huffed. "Have a safe flight, boys!"

The door of the rocket was shut tight and the countdown to launch began. Naoto didn't say anything as Tatsuya used his shirtsleeve to wipe away his tears.

"Naoto, you okay?"

When Naoto looked back at him, Tatsuya's eyes were clear.

"Time travel's pretty rough," Tatsuya continued. "And your body has taken a lot today..."

Aside from minding Naoto, Tatsuya had no other distractions to keep him from thinking about leaving his friends on this side. Naoto had taken a lot of hits, and he could silently take Tatsuya projecting his own misery onto him. For now.

"You'll see them again," Naoto said.

"What?"

At the last second of the countdown, a wormhole dilated before them to show their way home.


	2. Chapter 2

A little bird told Tatsuya that today was going to be a good day. Specifically, the little bird that Naoto had saved at the beginning of February.

Following his daily routine, Tatsuya checked the post that had came in before setting out for his daily run. Stuffed with the usual flyers and advertisements was an envelope with an unfamiliar address from Nara Prefecture. Tatsuya opened it and smiled at the faint blue clouds printed on the stationery paper.

He read:

_'Oniichan, how are you? Is the other oniichan okay now? I hope he's out of the hospital and not wrapped in bandages anymore._

_Do you remember my bird Senshi? He can now say 'Good morning' every day. Now, we're trying to teach him how to say 'good night'._

_When you're in Nara, please come and visit me and Senshi. Senshi will be happy to say 'good morning' and 'good night' to you. We really want to see you two again!_

_-Best wishes from Miki and Senshi'_

Tatsuya really wished he could see them both again too. The letter in his hand, along with the photograph of Miki and Senshi that was sent with it, was a hopeful sign that their first meeting at the shelter may not be their last and that they may cross each other's paths one day.

When that happened, Tatsuya hoped that Naoto would be with him. He glanced at the closed door of one of the two bedrooms in Tomorrow Research, previously Yuuri's room and currently occupied by Naoto. In the past ten days since Tatsuya had persuaded--more like strong-armed--Naoto into staying at his place, he had only caught sight of his friend in the common living areas twice or thrice. It was a relief each time to know that Naoto hadn't snuck out in the dead of the night, but then Tatsuya's worry would return as he held back from asking Naoto about his plans for the future and how he was feeling.

Tatsuya thought of slipping Miki's letter and photograph under Naoto's door, but reconsidered. It wasn't right to treat Naoto like he had become a total shut-in. Instead, he left the items on the coffee table for Naoto to find whenever he wanted to step out. 

* * *

Today, Tatsuya had an excuse to stop by the pet shop where the shopkeeper who was a dead ringer for Naoto worked. Tatsuya couldn't help but take note of strangers that looked like his

friends, in case he could identify an ancestor or two of one of his friends from the future, and he had never thought that he'd find someone with a strong resemblance to his one friend still living in the here and now.

The first time he saw the shopkeeper from afar, he did a double take, and then another, until not!Naoto noticed and nodded at him when he passed by on his running route. It'd be awkward for Tatsuya to not acknowledge him and so it happened that he became on nodding terms with Naoto's doppelganger. 

"Morning!" The shopkeeper greeted, allowing Tatsuya to hear his voice for the first time. "How can I help you?"

"Morning! I'm looking for a bird toy to give to a bird lover."

When the shopkeeper asked Tatsuya what kind of bird it was, Tatsuya tried his best to describe Senshi. "The bird is pretty small and yellow and green and uh, it can talk..."

He didn't know much about birds and was afraid that he'd be wrong about which species Miki's bird was. Luckily, the information he supplied was enough for the knowledgeable shopkeeper.

"Oh, a parakeet?" Under the shopkeeper's professional smile, Tatsuya could detect a hint of excitement at hearing about other people's pets.

The shopkeeper selected from his shelves a spiral that was made out of multi-coloured wooden beads and offered it to Tatsuya. "I'd recommend this. It's a climbing toy that you can bend into different shapes."

Tatsuya thanked him for his help and paid for the toy. As the shopkeeper rang up the register, Tatsuya took the chance to subtly study his features from up close. He may have Naoto's nose and jawline, and the similar slightly slanted eyes, but his voice was a lot lighter and his body language was far more relaxed. Maybe this man could have been Naoto in a different world, one where Naoto lived a life that had nothing to do with the machinations of the Asami group, present and future. 

Then, the shopkeeper did something that was most un-Naoto--he made small talk. "I always feel refreshed seeing you run by. Are you training for a marathon?"

"No, I do it to stay healthy. By the way, I'm Tatsuya and I teach karate. Nice to meet you."

"The name's Hiroshi. Nice to meet you too."

At last, Tatsuya knew not!Naoto's real name and made a new friend. Not long after peace was restored and the world wasn't going to disappear after all, the future was looking bright again.

* * *

Tatsuya returned home to find that Naoto had left his room. There he was, sitting on the couch and nibbling on a piece of plain toast. Miki's letter and photograph were still where Tatsuya had left them, seemingly untouched.

Tatsuya tried to guess from Naoto's expression on whether he had read what Miki was up to. Perhaps had stared for too long, for Naoto looked up at him with a sharp, "What?"

"The letter's from Miki, the girl we met at the shelter," Tatsuya said. "Her little bird can now talk. That's great, isn't it?"

"How did she know of this address?" Naoto asked.

"I gave her my namecard. I think you weren't there," Tatsuya replied, recalling the last time he talked to Miki. "That's one of the reasons why I wanted you to stay with me. By the way, I've bought a bird toy from the pet shop to send to Miki. Birds like climbing on things, right?"

Naoto just shrugged without saying anything.

Though Tatsuya didn't expect Naoto to make friendly conversation like Hiroshi, Tatsuya continued talking anyway as he made some coffee. Maybe if he kept up the stream of harmless words, he could keep Naoto out here for a little longer.

"I never thought you'd be into birds. Aside from you, I don't know anyone else who is since most people are more into cats and dogs. Though I do know of someone obsessed with collecting rare fish. Really, sometimes I think animals are easier to talk to. They're like small children and easier to understand--"

"Asami."

"Yes?"

Tatsuya stopped stirring his cup to turn to Naoto, waiting for what Naoto had to say. But Naoto just popped the last bit of toast into his mouth and got up to return to his room without even a glance at Tatsuya. Tatsuya thought about offering to make some coffee for Naoto or give him a look at the new climbing toy, but the door was shut before Tatsuya could get another word out. 

Silence reasserted itself within Tomorrow Research, bringing with it a sense of premonition. Tatsuya couldn't explain why or how he had the feeling that there was more to Naoto's gesture of shutting the door; that what he did was just the first step of shutting out Tatsuya for good.

After thwarting fate more times than a normal person should, Tatsuya's intuition was well-honed to tell him when was a good time to act against the current or get dragged under. It told him to stay alert tonight, and when he cleaned the living room in the evening, he found a sign that added to his unease. An ink sketch of Senshi the parakeet was left on top of Miki's letter for Tatsuya to send to her -- not a bad drawing at all, but a bad sign that was undoubtedly Naoto's goodbye note.


	3. Chapter 3

Night had changed into early morning when Naoto sneaked out of Tomorrow Research. Rather than prevent him from walking out the front door, Tatsuya waited outside. He hid behind his car as he heard Naoto climbing down the staircase that led to the office's entrance.

The big sports bag and the empty birdcage that Naoto took with him were not heavy, but carrying his possessions still slowed him down. Tatsuya had no trouble following Naoto's pace, though his steps faltered at times with guilty thoughts that what he was doing was technically stalking. His stealth skills, which were assessed as 'barely up to scratch' from his brief Timeranger training, would no doubt be compromised by his niggling hesitance.

At a path sloping downwards, Naoto stopped. Tatsuya looked around for some cover and could only find a lamppost that would at best block one-third of his frame from Naoto's view.

Without turning around, Naoto said, "The jig is up, Asami. Come out now."

Out of reflex, Tatsuya pasted a grin on his face and acted like they were having this conversation in broad daylight. "Hey, Naoto. What're you up to at this time of the day?"

"Go home. I won't impose on your hospitality anymore," Naoto replied. "See you." 

"Wait!"

Tatsuya rushed forward to grab Naoto's arm, relaxing his grip immediately as he was met with the full force of Naoto's death glare.

"I won't stop you," Tatsuya said. "At least tell me where you're going and how I can find you. I don't want to lose touch with you again."

"And why should I do what you tell me to?" Naoto retorted.

His voice was colder than the biting wind that blew past. Refusing to be frozen in his spot, Tatsuya just spoke his mind.

"I don't think you really want to disappear. After what you've been through, I think you need someone who'll be there for you."

Naoto didn't even deign to spare another piece of criticism for him and just walked off, asking, "Do you think I owe you my life just because you've saved me? I thought I cleared my debt when I gave you the V-commander."

"Well, I had to leave that in the thirtieth century. You know it's just you and me now."

Whirling around, Naoto asked, "You already have everything, so why'd you need a crappy friend like me?"

"Cause you need a good friend like me!" Tatsuya shouted.

What he said made Naoto let go of the handle of his empty bird cage. Tatsuya was torn between regret over upsetting Naoto and a sense of triumph that what he was saying wasn't mostly going through one of Naoto's ears and out the other.

Crappy friend -- that's how Naoto saw himself in relation to Tatsuya. Maybe he didn't know that he was the only one from college who followed what Tatsuya was up to, back when Tatsuya first cut ties with the Asami group and willingly reduced himself to a nobody. That despite Naoto being better than him in every respect--in karate, in strategizing, in miscellaneous skills and in asserting his independence--Naoto continued to see Tatsuya as a worthy rival. He eanted to tell Naoto that Naoto was the only non-family member from his pre-Timeranger days that Tatsuya still wanted in his life. Closing the gap between them, Tatsuya picked up Naoto's bird cage. 

"Let me just send you off," Tatsuya bargained.

Naoto looked at the bird cage, then back at Tatsuya. "You seem to think that what we have is a beautiful friendship."

"If you say so?"

Tatsuya took too long to ponder what Naoto was implying, nearly missing Naoto taking a step away and saying, "Come on!"

His permission was delivered like a command so Tatsuya wouldn't misunderstand that he had talked Naoto into doing anything. 

Through one back alley after another they went, going past the backyards of other people's homes and shops. Not once did Naoto lead Tatsuya towards the main road. Tatsuya refrained from asking for clues about their destination or what kind of place would be open at this hour, knowing that annoying Naoto for no reason would just make him second-guess his decision to bring Tatsuya with him.

At last, Naoto went inside a building. Tatsuya followed suit into a narrow hallway with a reception counter divided from the entrance by a glass partition and metal shutters that were pulled down behind the glass.

"Don't think there's anyone around," Tatsuya observed.

Ignoring him, Naoto went up to the counter and said, "Reservation for 3F."

Then came the sound of a beep and a card was slipped through a flap into the metal slot beneath the counter top. Beyond the beep, whoever was behind the shutters didn't make their presence known. As Tatsuya wondered why a hotel--the shadiest one that he had ever stepped in--would have a need for such secrecy, he followed Naoto into a narrow lift that took them to the third floor.

3F was located at the furthest end away from the lift.

Despite the mechanical reception in the lobby, the inside of the room was both cozy and spacious. A plush, maroon carpet covered the hardwood floor and a soft amber glow bathed furniture that was all made of wood. The huge bed tempted anyone looking at it to sink into it and curl up under the red down blanket that matched the carpet. On the whole, the room seemed like one from out of a cabin in the peaceful woods; a pretty good choice for guests to temporarily forget about the pains and woes of living in the busy capital city. 

Tatsuya placed the bird cage on the chest of drawers near the window and reached to brush the lace curtains, only to find that both the curtains and windows were painted on the wall. He chuckled and was about to point out this interesting detail to Naoto when his words were caught in his throat. Before him, Naoto had taken off his coat and shirt, and was in the midst of pulling down his jeans, revealing the pair of black boxer-briefs he had on underneath.

Tatsuya had never seen Naoto this undressed. Was he just making himself comfortable? He had nothing to be shy about for he had a great body, lean and muscular though a little too skinny for his height. Then there were his long legs...

A line ought to be drawn right there. Naoto was Tatsuya's friend and might not appreciate being looked at in that way by another guy. Just as Tatsuya wondered if he should take his clothes off too to feel less awkward, Naoto got on the bed. He leaned against the pillows and spread his legs, the same legs that Tatsuya was just admiring. He raised his eyes and with a smirk told Tatsuya that he wanted to be looked at in _that_ way.

"Naoto," Tatsuya said, his throat feeling dry all of a sudden, "what are you doing?"

"Ruining our beautiful friendship," Naoto said.

It was no empty threat. He pulled his briefs off and tossed them aside, then reached into the bedside drawer to extract a white massager. The kind that people secretly use to stimulate parts of the body that are usually kept covered up in public. Why on earth this hotel had it lying around for guests, Tatsuya had no idea, unless it's a...oh shit, it is.

"We're in a love hotel, aren't we?" Tatsuya asked.

"Nice of you to notice, Asami," Naoto spoke over the whirring of the massager that he had turned on. "What clued you in?"

"I should've guessed from all the mystery during checking in. It's my first time in this kind of place."

"You've never been to this kind of place?" Naoto snorted in disbelief, jabbing the vibrator in Tatsuya's direction. "Don't tell me that you only fuck the people you've pulled in your family home."

"Never done that. I've never done one night stands, actually."

Thinking about it, this was the fanciest place that Tatsuya had ever been in where he was involved in a sexual situation. A sexual situation that also happened to be the most unusual that Tatsuya had ever experienced. Unlike Tatsuya's confusion in interpreting what was going on, Naoto seemed to have the scenario all plotted out, using the vibrator to masturbate his erection and rolling it over his bare abs when he switched to stroking his cock instead.

Naoto's cock was long and thin, just like the rest of him. Tatsuya's eyes were drawn to its curve and the way pre-come glistened at the tip, dripping so, so slowly down Naoto's length. Glorious as the view was, the appropriate thing for Tatsuya to do was probably to turn away. But it's not like he had walked in on Naoto wanking, a hypothetical situation that was the exact opposite of what was happening in reality.

'He started it,' Tatsuya thought, not unlike a child blaming others for doing something wrong.

He didn't want to turn away. His own cock was reacting as well, getting hard and making it harder for him to continue standing. He glanced at the armchair behind him and took a few calculated steps backward to plop his butt down on it, hoping that Naoto wouldn't mind.

In fact, rather than paying attention to Tatsuya's every move, Naoto was more occupied with his elaborate ritual to get himself off. When Tatsuya was worrying over his hard-on, Naoto had fetched a bottle of lube and a small, black buttplug from one of the drawers attached to the bed's headboard, needing the former to be able to put the latter in his hole. He seemed to have the lay of the land and had memorized exactly where the necessary items were kept, perhaps from having used them in this very room.

Tatsuya focused on the curve of Naoto's wrist as Naoto inserted slick, slender fingers into his hole. Fingering himself like that seemed more effort than its worth, considering the inconvenient angle that would keep him from thrusting deep enough.

"Wouldn't you hurt your wrist doing that?" Tatsuya asked, partially out of genuine curiosity.

Naoto took his fingers out and answered, "Wouldn't you hurt your dick just sitting like that?"

"Thanks for your concern," Tatsuya replied, deliberately misinterpreting Naoto's words as permission to unzip his pants.

As Tatsuya took his cock out, Naoto moved with a greater sense of urgency. Maybe he was in a hurry to come first before Tatsuya did, for some reason. He plugged up his stretched hole and reached for the vibrator again, switching the motor on. Tatsuya couldn't just sit there while Naoto teased his nipples with the toy's vibrating top; he started jerking himself off and felt his cock twitch as he watched Naoto clench his thighs to better tighten around the buttplug

Naoto lowered the vibrator to bump it against the base of the buttplug. Tatsuya had never seen it used this way before; he imagined the vibrations from the toy sending tremors deep inside Naoto and wanted to take a closer look.

He rose to take a few steps towards where Naoto lay, pausing when Naoto said, "Think I'm giving you a free show, Asami? Think again."

Tatsuya wasn't about to stop touching himself, not when he was really close.

"How about I pay for half the room?" He offered. "Would that be enough compensation for...the show?"

Naoto huffed and threw his head back, spreading his legs even wider apart so he could press the vibrator harder between his legs. He was in no condition to stop Tatsuya from doing whatever he wanted.

Tatsuya took in Naoto's erect nipples, pale thighs, hard cock and balls that were partially obscured by the vibrator's top. He looked like he wanted to get fucked and Tatsuya would jump in and do it, if Naoto said that's what he wanted Tatsuya to do.

"Don't come on me," Naoto demanded.

A second later, he cried out and jerked himself through his orgasm.

Tatsuya remained standing a respectful distance away from him. He zeroed in on the come splattered on Naoto's chest and with a few harsh strokes, he came too. None of his come landed on the bed, all of it ending up on the hotel's carpet.

He panted and stared at Naoto, in no better shape and lying flat on the bed. They both knew how it'd feel when the world was about to end--a little bit like now; like a black hole was already devouring the Earth and every living being on the planet was none the wiser.


	4. Chapter 4

While Naoto used the shower, Tatsuya helped himself to some wet wipes to scrub at the come stain on the carpet. No matter how hard he scrubbed and the angle in which he attacked it from, the stain wouldn't go away. He continued scrubbing anyway so crust from his semen wouldn't get stuck in the material.

From behind him, Naoto said, "Leave it. People have came on worse places in this room."

With a silent apology to the hotel's cleaners, Tatsuya got to his feet and trashed the wet wipes.

Naoto had changed into a plain black T-shirt and a pair of navy boxer-briefs taken from his sports bag. He sat upright on the bed with his arms crossed over his chest and his pale, toned legs stretched out before him. Tatsuya had to tear his gaze away from those legs; for as fast as the sexual tension had erupted between them, it was now gone, leaving in its place plain old tension. But Tatsuya hoped that Naoto's choice to bare those gorgeous legs meant that Tatsuya would get another chance to admire them later tonight.

Giving the come stain a wide berth, Tatsuya walked to the other side of the bed to sit beside Naoto. Though he was growing warm inside the room, he was too awkward to take off anything more than his overshirt. 

As he leaned against the headboard, he heard Naoto mutter, "I can't believe that worked. Just how horny are you?"

What was he mad about? Did he want Tatsuya to get turned on or not? It would be easier to be Naoto's friend if Naoto was easier to read, but a version of Naoto that was easy to read would not have seduced Tatsuya with such a shocking and memorable method. Tatsuya accepted Naoto as he was, with simple conditions--he'd draw the line at beating each other bloody again, but not at fucking each other.

"As horny as you are," Tatsuya retorted. "So what do you want to do now? Are you expecting anyone?" 

"If I say 'yes,' would you leave?"

"Then I'll stay until whoever you're expecting arrives."

Naoto started fidgeting, meaning no one else had been invited to this room. Tatsuya would stay and see if Naoto would go so far as to summon a hooker to chase Tatsuya away. The chances of that happening was low; it was a step down from Naoto taking off all his clothes and masturbating in front of Tatsuya, and the only direction Naoto went was up.

To fill the silence, Naoto grabbed the remote to turn the TV on. The screen showed a series of infomercials selling fruit slicers and vacuums and other crap that they didn't need. Tatsuya's eyes began to glaze over and he blinked hard once to ward away his sleepiness, thinking that they could put the hotel's amenities to much better use.

"Hey," Tatsuya started, "how about we...do it again?"

"Do what? Wank?"

Before Tatsuya could suggest progressing from touching their own dicks to putting their hands on each other's dicks, Naoto changed the channel. The dull infomercials gave way to a scene of a busty woman moaning for her life, her sailor fuku top pulled above her breasts and her short skirt flipped up so a man with an unseen face could ram into her.

"Here you go," Naoto said. "Go ahead and wank to your heart's content."

This scene must be from one of the hotel's adult channels. One look at the setting of a subway train and anyone could guess that the story was a porn staple of a schoolgirl taking the cocks of multiple salarymen on her morning commute. At one point, the camera zoomed in on the actress' pussy, which had been blurred out. So was the actor's cock and as the blur of pixels met another blur of pixels, Tatsuya became a little cross-eyed from trying to make out where one set of private parts ended and where another set began.

"We're in the middle of the city, yet the reception is terrible," Tatsuya joked.

Naoto changed the channel again to show another porn. This one had similar aesthetics to a foreign arthouse film, complete with foreign subtitles.

A blonde woman wearing a black mask and a tiny leather bikini shouted, "En garde!"

Next came a close-up of two men, one black and one white, shot from the neck down as they advanced at each other. Both only had on trunks with a hole in the front to put their erect penises through. As they thwacked their penises against each other's, the camera wobbled along with their junk.

'When's the last time I've seen an uncircumcised one?' Tatsuya asked himself and thought about that for a while.

The clashing of dicks went on and on, and though for this one at least the private parts didn't get blurred out, Tatsuya didn't feel like wanking at all. He'd better stop looking before the close-ups made him sick of erections, even his own. Out of sympathy with customers who checked in alone for a fun night by themselves, he felt indignant on the behalf of everyone who had to pay to watch this shit.

"Don't look away, Asami," Naoto said. "Those dicks may just pop out of the TV any moment like Sadako and screw you for the next seven days."

That'd make more sense than the weirdness that was unfolding on the screen.

"Didn't you say you were going to ruin our friendship?" Tatsuya reminded Naoto. "Are you just going to sit there and be contented with a half-assed job?"

The TV went dead and the next thing Tatsuya knew, Naoto had pounced on him and sat on Tatsuya's chest.

'Good,' Tatsuya gloated in his head, even as he went "oof" under Naoto's weight. 'He'd never take being called 'half-assed' lying down.'

Bracing both hands against the headboard, Naoto leaned closer to Tatsuya's face and said, "I can't believe how hungry you are for cock, Asami."

"I can't help that yours look delicious," Tatsuya said, grabbing a handful of Naoto's underwear-clad ass towards him. "Let me suck yours. I think you'd like that as much as you like watching me get hard for you."

Naoto widened his eyes a fraction as the corner of his lips twitched. Aside from that, he didn't move a muscle and didn't say a thing. Tatsuya guessed that Naoto couldn't bring himself to say 'yes, I want that' and so it was up to him to give Naoto what he wanted.

If Tatsuya slid down the bed a little, Naoto could put his cock in Tatsuya's mouth. To fix the idea in Naoto's head, Tatsuya shifted to bury his face in Naoto's crotch, breathing in the scent of detergent and rubbing his cheek against the outline of Naoto's bulge.

Naoto's sharp intake of breath and the wet spot forming on the front of Naoto's underwear told Tatsuya that Naoto would be into what Tatsuya was about to do next. Tatsuya slipped his fingers under the waistband of Naoto's underwear, carressing the faint indentation on the skin of Naoto's waist and providing more room for Naoto's hardening cock.

"Fuck it," Naoto cursed.

He climbed off the bed and with his back turned to Tatsuya, he began peeling off his boxer-briefs.

Halfway through, with his underwear bunched up partially down his thighs, he said, "Take off your pants unless you're that into self-abuse."

Tatsuya wasn't. He unfastened his pants and got undressed from the waist down, flinging aside both his pants and underwear onto the floor. In case he needed it, he groped around for the bottle of lube that Naoto had used and found it under the other pillow.

Straddling Tatsuya's lap again, Naoto noticed the lube in Tatsuya's hand and asked, "What's that for?"

"For, um, another thing I'd also like to do. To your ass. If you're up for it."

Naoto smirked and with a cocked eyebrow, conveyed that he was more than up. Instead of resuming his earlier humping of Tatsuya's face, he took his time to really look at Tatsuya's cock. He must be taking notes on its shape and size, and for now, it may be better for Tatsuya to remain in the dark on how generous or ungenerous Naoto's assessment was.

Tatsuya looked back at Naoto's cock, which he would know the taste of in a matter of seconds. Once the deed was done, what would unfold right after would be their actual first time. There'd be no turning back, for no one, not even those with the means to rewrite history, could have second chances at doing things right for the first time.

He was unconscious of how long he had spaced out until Naoto nudged him and said, "Come on, it's not that challenging."

"Huh, what?" Tatsuya needed another moment to figure out what 'it' was. "It's fine! More than fine. It's a sight to behold!"

Naoto rolled his eyes. "Okay, spill it. Are you having second thoughts?"

"Nope," Tatsuya shook his head, "it's just....we won't have a second first time."

"Would you rather have a zero first time? Your wishy-washiness is making me limp."

"Mmm, I'll see what I can do about that," Tatsuya said, pulling Naoto closer by the hips to get an eyeful of the not that challenging, more than fine sight to behold before him.

What was Naoto talking about; his hard-on was far from going out of action. Tatsuya kissed the tip, properly tasting it and taking it into his mouth. The bitter-salty taste of pre-come wasn't pleasant, yet Tatsuya found it fascinating when he tasted it on other guys. He opened wide as Naoto pushed into his mouth, letting Naoto's girth rest on his tongue and stretch his jaw.

Even as Naoto's dick twitched with each time Tatsuya sucked around it, Naoto remained rigidly still to keep himself from thrusting too much. Tatsuya admired Naoto's restraint, but what got him harder was chipping away at Naoto's self-control, applying spit and tongue to cause Naoto to shudder and grab hold onto Tatsuya's shoulders. Tatsuya popped open the bottle of lube with one hand and brought his other hand to the back of Naoto's thigh, stroking the delicate skin there.

"Enough," Naoto demanded, digging his fingers into Tatsuya's shoulders as he pulled back.

Tatsuya stared at Naoto's erection, red and dripping by then. He moaned as he felt the touch of Naoto's fingers curling around his cock. Naoto had reached back to jack Tatsuya off, careful to apply just enough pressure to take the edge off Tatsuya's arousal.

"Enough of using your mouth," Naoto said. "I want you to fuck me."

Tatsuya looked forward to putting not just his fingers, but also his cock inside Naoto. He started with one finger slicked up with lube, circling and pressing against Naoto's hole to test the slight resistance. Naoto took Tatsuya's finger easily; his hole seemingly used to taking much larger objects.

Having seen how Naoto liked to do this to himself, Tatsuya knew he didn't have to take his time. Still, he'd better not rush things; he'd better insert another finger to stretch Naoto out, thrusting both his fingers in and out to give Naoto a preview of the main act. Each thrust left Naoto panting and squirming around Tatsuya's fingers, and Tatsuya had to resist the urge to just look. He put in a third finger, getting Naoto even more open for him.

"Feels better than doing this yourself, right?" Tatsuya asked.

"Don't get cocky--ah!"

The rest of Naoto's snappy retort was swallowed in a moan as Tatsuya rubbed his fingers over Naoto's prostate. More pre-come dribbled out of Naoto's cock and Tatsuya quickly withdrew his fingers to keep from stimulating Naoto too much.

"So," Tatsuya couldn't work his brain fast enough to improvise a gentlemanly way to say, "ready to ride my cock?"

"As I was saying, don't get cocky with me," Naoto said.

He reached behind Tatsuya to pluck a complimentary condom from a little box placed strategically on top of the headboard. After tearing open the red packet with his teeth, Naoto used his lips to roll the condom onto the head of Tatsuya's cock. 

Tatsuya didn't get the chance to praise Naoto for his talented mouth. With practiced movements, Naoto sheathed Tatsuya's cock completely in the condom, applied lube all over it and held onto its base. He raised his hips and sank down on the tip, gradually getting all of Tatsuya inside him.

Tatsuya moaned, knowing that he'd never forget what he was seeing and feeling right then--his cock stretching open Naoto's hole, the tight heat of Naoto's ass and Naoto flushed and panting as he grinded his erection against Tatsuya's stomach. When Tatsuya reached out to touch Naoto's cock, Naoto smacked his hand away.

"Not yet," Naoto said.

He grasped the bottom of his T-shirt, pulling it up and over his head and throwing it aside. Tatsuya gulped at the sight of Naoto's brown nipples and pale chest. Technically, he was doing the fucking, yet at the same time he was so, so _fucked_.

Naoto shifted his weight from one leg to another, getting used to having Tatsuya inside him. He began to ride Tatsuya, going hard from the get-go and adjusting the angle so Tatsuya's cock rubbed on where he wanted. He held himself up with one hand and used the other to tweak on one of Tatsuya's nipple through the fabric of Tatsuya's shirt. The twist of his fingers sent Tatsuya arching his back up from the bed and making his dick twitch inside Naoto.

"Found your weak spot," Naoto declared.

Tatsuya replied with a shrug of his shoulders. He sucked in his gut as Naoto slipped his fingers under Tatsuya's shirt to lightly scratch down Tatsuya's flank. At the slight prick of Naoto's nails, Tatsuya let out a whining noise.

Naoto couldn't afford to talk anymore, not with the way he sped up his rhythm to fuck himself on Tatsuya's cock with wild abandon. From where he was lying, Tatsuya couldn't do much. Wanting to get even closer to Naoto, he placed his hands on Naoto's hips to tilt Naoto back as he raised himself up from the bed.

"What are you--"

"Know what would really ruin our friendship?"

Without waiting for Naoto's answer, Tatsuya pressed their lips together. He didn't think he'd ever kiss someone before having sex with them, but with Naoto it somehow made more sense to do things the unusual way.

Naoto froze and for a split second, Tatsuya thought that Naoto was going to shove him away. Naoto did the opposite as he kissed Tatsuya back with a passion that Tatsuya hadn't expected from him. He wound his arms around Tatsuya's neck, his breathing harsh and his kisses forceful.

To keep Naoto focused on kissing him, Tatsuya took care of Naoto's erection that was pressed between their chests. He wrapped his fingers around it and gave it a few firm strokes until Naoto spilled onto his hand. He winced at Naoto biting on his bottom lip while coming; he didn't care, for he came not long after with Naoto squeezing around him.

Naoto had enough energy to push Tatsuya back onto the bed and collapse on him, their bodies still joined.

"You like that, Asami?" Naoto asked, his voice hoarse and breathy.

"I like you," Tatsuya answered.


	5. Chapter 5

From where he lay, Naoto watched Tatsuya fall asleep on the other side of the bed. Tatsuya sure had his fun - in exchange for sucking Naoto off, Naoto blew him back in the jacuzzi tub. Right after coming, he laughed at Naoto spluttering and coughing up water that got into his nose after bending his neck beneath the bubbling water's surface to swallow more of Tatsuya's cock. Minutes later, Naoto spared no mercy when he took Tatsuya from behind.

They could both rest well like this, if only Naoto could stop getting antsier in imagining the various scenarios that may unfold tomorrow when it was bright outside and time for them to check out of the hotel. He found it difficult to see him being too comfortable with Tatsuya for long in this new chapter of their lives.

More than ever, Tatsuya seemed fixated on the nothing Naoto had; poking and prodding at Naoto's problems while ignoring his own. Naoto didn't like that--being used by Tatsuya, even if unintentionally. Naoto couldn't ignore the fact that unless Naoto let himself be used, he couldn't give Tatsuya anything back in return.

Naoto's lips tingled just from thinking about their kiss. The kiss that Tatsuya gave him.

He dared to ruin his chances of getting another kiss by asking, "You've slept with him, haven't you?"

"Him who?" Tatsuya replied, blinking twice to ward his drowsiness away.

"Your blue friend. There seemed to be something between the two of you."

"How did you--" Tatsuya backtracked and continued, "Well yes, there was. Ayase and I did have that kind of relationship."

Naoto imagined the two of them kissing in Tomorrow Research. In the room beside the one he had stayed in, which they had shared with the team's musclehead. Whether the other Timerangers knew about their relationship or not, Naoto would never know, because he wasn't planning on asking questions for which he didn't need to know the answers.

"That's all in the past," Tatsuya said. "We knew it had to end at any moment."

"So you're not nursing a broken heart right now?"

"Right now? Nope. Why, do you think I'm...depressed?"

Tatsuya forced out a chuckle that didn't fool Naoto one bit. There it was, the hint of darkness underlying Tatsuya's perpetual smiles. Naoto had been too absorbed in his own problems to notice Tatsuya's dark side before, not until Tatsuya had chosen Naoto as an unlikely companion for his misery.

"If you are, you can always go home," Naoto reminded him.

Tatsuya shook his head against the pillow. "I can't. I'd have to leave again and if my dad tries to stop me, my mom would feel like she has to protect me from him. Who knows what would happen to their marriage if she does that too many times."

Naoto couldn't see the Asami family unit falling apart just like that. He wouldn't wish it on them, not even after nearly being crushed by Tatsuya's father's unbendable will. It just wasn't right for Tatsuya to end up like him, alone with no family and no home to return to.

Naoto could only tell him, "You're a fool, Asami."

Saying more would involve the risk of revealing details about his own upbringing; an exercise that equaled rubbing salt on a festering wound.

"Mmm, you've told me," Tatsuya replied.

After a long stretch of silence, Naoto deduced from Tatsuya's breathing that Tatsuya had fallen asleep. He let him sleep and stayed awake to plan out his moves for tomorrow; what he was going to do about his feelings for Tatsuya.

* * *

Naoto's white threadbare V-neck was too small on Tatsuya's broad shoulders. He was stretching it out, and was probably also doing the same to the pair of boxer-briefs that Naoto had lent him. The underwear must be tight around his waist and butt with the cotton material clinging to his dick and balls.

Naoto's gaze fell on the outline of Tatsuya's nipples, bringing his attention to how thin the shirt was. Tatsuya had chosen to brave the morning's coldness and tied the red checkered overshirt that he usually wore around his waist.

"Bold of you to dress like it's already summer," Naoto commented.

"Is it cold? I hadn't noticed," Tatsuya said. "Cause you're so hot."

"HUH?!"

Tatsuya apologized and untied his overshirt to cover up his obscenely erect nipples. Naoto immediately missed the sight of them.

In the booth across from them, two young parents were busy with trying to have a conversation with each other while feeding their flailing toddler. A peaceful scene that was a far cry from the morning after of two guys, neither friends nor enemies, who just had to complicate their relationship further by fucking.

Naoto had in the end decided to tell Tatsuya about his future plans. As Tatsuya took a bite from his sandwich, Naoto waited for him to swallow before speaking.

"This afternoon, I'll be travelling to the future--to the thirtieth century."

Now it was Tatsuya's turn to go, "HUH?!"

Shocked, Tatsuya squeezed his sandwich hard enough to force the tomato wedged between the slices of bread to drop onto his plate--the perfect emphasis to Naoto's dramatic revelation. Maybe if Naoto continued talking, he could expect an explosion around the corner.

"I'll be going," Naoto announced, "as a new agent of the Time Defense Bureau."

"What--How--"

'How' boiled down to pure survival instinct that Naoto was whittled down to on the day he cheated death. He had moved non-stop; first into the healing pod to take care of his wounds, then going through the test for potential recruits and back into the pod for his second round of healing.

"That sure is a record-breaking comeback," Tatsuya marvelled. "Wait, how did you know about the test?"

"Your boyfriend told me about it on New Year's Eve, after you guys finished cleaning V-Rex. He didn't say anything about it?"

When Tatsuya shook his head, Naoto said, "It's too bad you missed your chance. You'd be a shoo-in as a former TimeRed."

"Nah, I don't think that path is for me. The thirtieth century isn't my time...where I'm supposed to live my life," Tatsuya replied. "Where my home is, though I'm not yet ready to go home."

Tatsuya took his time to chew on his sandwich. It seemed that saying his thoughts out loud had sparked more thoughts; so Naoto guessed. He pretended to idly stare out the window at the footpath by the diner as he parsed the thicket of his own thoughts.

In the past ten days, Naoto would from time to time think, 'That guy should've been the one.' The one to preserve the peace of a billion connected tomorrows. The one to right his descendant's wrongs. The one to fight alongside his best friends for the long haul. And the one to live with the person who also wanted to be with him.

That didn't change that Naoto had earned his new role, having practically etched his name in blood on it. He needed it to reassert the value of his life after being casted as a pawn and nearly shuffled off the stage for the living. He didn't have to feel selfish for grasping onto what Tatsuya didn't want.

What Tatsuya wanted; Naoto didn't need to think hard about--a link to his former teammates to preserve the recent memory of living and working with them. Naoto could tell that much from Tatsuya's stories of spotting his friends' lookalike 'ancestors'.

Puncturing the silence, Naoto asked, "Ever heard of the term 'virtual reality'?"

Tatsuya turned to face Naoto again. " 'Virtual'? As in 'pretend'? 'Pretend' reality?"

"Mmm, my virtual reality test didn't feel like pretend, though," Naoto said. "I fought for real with a bayonet."

Tatsuya sat up straight, ready to hang onto Naoto's every word. Naoto took a deep breath and told all, painting a picture of the high-tech goggles and armour that he had to put on. One moment he was encased in the bulky gear and in the next he was swordfighting against the Time Defense Bureau's agent of the Meiji era. Striking a single blow on his opponent was the ticket to moving on to the next time period with a period-appropriate weapon materializing in his hand alongside his next opponent from either an older or newer era. In this manner, Naoto proved his mettle and impressed his new colleagues.

If he died during the virtual reality test, he'd die in real life. The giraffe-man Saburo had made that clear. Naoto had proved his strength to act like he had a death wish whenever he wanted to and was doing the same now, revealing to Tatsuya more about the workings and technology of the thirtieth century organization than he should. 

"I may have my memory wiped and what's left of me sent to the edge of the galaxy for telling you all this," Naoto said. "Or I may not. And then who knows what they'd do to you?"

"Naoto!" Tatsuya gasped.

"Probably nothing, considering all that you've been through," Naoto mused out loud. "But I'd better check on you when I get back to this era. How about letting me put my things at your place?"

" _Naoto_!"

At the way Tatsuya said his name the second time, with disbelief and amusement, Naoto gave Tatsuya half a smile. He didn't fight the feeling of being filled with a warmth that wasn't just from sitting by the window and being hit by the sun's slanting rays.

Time was ticking and they ought to get going. Naoto let Tatsuya carry his empty birdcage, which pleased Tatsuya for some reason. This was new, his discovery that he didn't dislike making Tatsuya happy; a discovery that was quietly earth-shattering to him. For now, Naoto decided to see where the big changes in his life would take him, which meant letting go of what he thinks his life should be.

Outside, Tatsuya deliberately walked around Naoto to stand on Naoto's other side.

"Naoto, don't look this way," Tatsuya said in an undertone. "Remember Hiroshi? Your lookalike who sold me the bird toy? We're passing by the pet shop where he works."

"And I thought you don't believe in such superstitions."

Naoto held his arm out to stop Tatsuya from going any further. Ignoring Tatsuya's protests, he scanned the rows of shops along the opposite road and watched a small boy skip cheerfully out of one while holding a puppy by the leash. The boy turned around and waved at a young-looking guy who had also stepped out. That guy...okay, Naoto could see some resemblance. Just a bit.

"Wow, it's like looking in a mirror," Naoto deadpanned. "I think you've just cursed me to perish in the next twenty-four hours, Asami."

"Eh?! I thought you don't believe in superstitions!"

As Tatsuya moved to block his line of sight, Naoto feigned a strong interest to get an eyeful of that guy. What he really couldn't get enough of was getting a rise out of Tatsuya and seeing what Tatsuya was seeing; that guy whom Tatsuya had talked to and wasn't the other Naoto who had died in Tatsuya's arms.

'Thanks,' Naoto thought, watching him go back inside his shop. 'With you around, I know I'm definitely on the right side of fate.'

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Captain Saburo the giraffe-man is based on [Yatsude Saburo](https://powerrangers.fandom.com/wiki/Saburo_Yatsude), a collective pen name used by Toei that has been used throughout Super Sentai. 'Yatsude Saburo' has appeared in [an interview](https://www.toei.co.jp/tv/zyuohger/story/1207340_2514.html) with a giraffe's head.
> 
> This line about Tatsuya/Naoto captures what I think is my relationship as a writer with my readers:  
> "It would be easier to be [guava]'s [reader] if [guava's writing] was easier to read, but a version of [guava's writing] that was easy to read would not have seduced [the reader] with such a shocking and memorable [storyline]."
> 
> Thus concludes my first fanfic that is about as long as my graduation thesis. Yay! Thanks for reading!


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